The present invention concerns in a general manner the steering wheels and the tops of steering columns of motor vehicles. More precisely, it concerns the problem of assembling steering wheels onto the tops of steering columns.
The new generation of steering wheels permits the assembly to be carried out blind, with the mechanical connecting system between the steering wheel and the top of the steering column being for example of the clipped type. Thus the assembly can be performed without tools, and at a high rate. However, assembling a steering wheel onto the top of a column requires two distinct types of connections: a mechanical connection, only concerned with the previous comment, and an electrical connection, the importance of which increases with time.
The problem addressed by the invention concerns the electrical junction: it is not possible to provide a connector with a plug simply attached to the top of the column and a plug simply attached to the steering wheel, while providing that the mechanical assembly simultaneously brings about the electrical connection. The electrical connection must be kept free from any mechanical stress liable to bring about micro-breaks, in particular on account of the existence of an air bag in the steering wheel.
The steering wheel is subject to mechanical stresses (axial play, eccentricity creating radial stresses, etc.) which thus prevent the aforementioned solution from being applied. The connector to be provided must be able to accommodate tolerances in positioning the steering wheel as well as its eccentricity. In addition, no other mechanical stress should exist, so as to guarantee electrical continuity.